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LOT 3286
Extremely Rare and Highly
Desirable Historic
Documented
Civil War Early
Production Iron
Frame New Haven
Arms Co. Henry
Lever Action Rifle
with Provenance
to Confederate
Kentucky
Cavalryman
Lorenzo D. Rasdall
- Serial no. 64, 44
Henry RF cal., 24 inch octagon bbl.,
blue finish, walnut stock. Rock Island
Auction Company is honored to be
able to offer this extremely rare iron
frame Henry rifle, serial number 64, manufactured by
the New Haven Arms Company during the early stages of production in April-June of 1862, per the figures listed on
page 71 of “The Historic Henry Rifle” by Wiley Sword, in which page 85 of the book lists 85 known examples of iron frame Henry
rifles, including this example, and the author further indicates it is believed that only approximately 200-300 iron frame Henrys were
manufactured in total. This rare very early production Henry rifle was manufactured with an iron frame and is made further desirable
in that it was reportedly passed down through the descendants of Confederate cavalryman Lorenzo D. Rasdall of Smith’s Grove,
Kentucky. Pages 54-55 of “The Story of Benjamin Tyler Henry and His Famed Repeating Rifle” by Les Quick lists the serial numbers of
90 identified iron frame Henry rifles including this rifle, serial number 64, in which the serial numbers of the known iron frame Henry
rifles are found between 2-355 and some duplicate serial numbers of Henry rifles with brass frames.
The rifle’s strong ties to Confederate Kentucky cavalryman Lorenzo D. Rasdall are spelled out in the included notarized letter of
provenance dated July 18, 2008, addressed from descendant Sue Rasdall Ruddell states, “This Henry rifle has been in my family as long as
I can remember. The gun belonged to my Grandfather, Urias Rumsey Rasdall, in Smith’s Grove, KY. I can remember as a child that a comment
was made about the rifle and they said it was valuable. The rifle was later given to my father, Lorenzo D. Rasdall, Sr. [grandson of the original
Lorenzo D. Rasdall] in Smith’s Grove, KY. My father gave the rifle to my husband and I. We brought the rifle to Hopkinsville, KY. Urias R. Rasdall was
born in 1875 and died in 1955. Urias’ father was L.D. Rasdall and he was born in 1843 and died in 1922. L.D. Rasdall was in the KY Cavalry, Buckner’s
Guides, Confederate States Army. He enlisted in 1862 at the age of 19 years old, according to ‘History of Warren Co’, page 201. I have talked to my brother and
to a cousin and they both agreed that the rifle came from L.D. Rasdall.” In 1862, Lorenzo D. Rasdall reportedly enlisted in a Confederate cavalry unit referred to as
“Buckner’s Guides” (some sources seem to refer to them as “Buckner Guards”), raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Many of these early production Henry rifles were reportedly sold by dealers
operating out of Louisville, Kentucky. George D. Prentice, editor of the pro-union “Louisville Journal” promoted the Henry rifle as “the simplest, surest and most effective weapon we know of”.
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